Senator Sherwin Gatchalian hopes that Senator Ronald Dela Rosa will fulfill his duties in the upcoming Bicameral Conference Committee, or bicam, as it begins its deliberations on Saturday, Dec. 13.

In a Zoom interview on Friday, Dec. 12, Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said that Dela Rosa--as vice chairperson of the panel--automatically became part of the Senate contingent to the bicam.

He explained that the Senate did this because the vice chairpersons were familiar with the budgets of the agencies they defend. Gatchalian said he has not received any notice regarding whether or not the senator will attend, or if he has received any statement indicating that he has resigned as vice chair of the committee.

"By tradition, since 2018, yung mga vice chair automatic nagiging conferee dahil mas kabisado nila ang kanilang ahensya, ako I will rely on vice chair para tulungan ako depensahan yung mga Senate proposals (By tradition, since 2018, the vice chairs automatically become conferees because they know their agencies better. As for me, I will rely on the vice chairs to help me defend the Senate’s proposals)," Gatchalian said.

"Si Senator Bato di naman siya nagresign as vice chair at di kami nag-uusap so wala naman siyang feedback kung ayaw niya maging conferee (Senator Bato hasn’t resigned as vice chair, and we haven’t spoken, so I haven’t received any feedback from him saying he doesn’t want to be a conferee)," he added.

This is why Gatchalian is hoping Dela Rosa will show up tomorrow to help with the bicam.

"I hope na magkatime siya na mag attend ng bicam so we are supplying ung kanyang mga staff ng information (I hope he finds the time to attend the bicam, so we are providing his staff with the necessary information), Gatchalian said.

He said that if Dela Rosa requests to attend online, he will not be allowed because it is not permitted under the bicam rules.

It is also uncertain whether his proposed amendments will be considered in the bicam if he submits them only through a letter.

At any rate, Dela Rosa's absence--even coupled with Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada's withdrawal as a bicam member--will not have a direct impact in the proceedings, according to Gatchalian.

"Wala naman, kasi tinitingnan namin sa iba wala namang rule kung ilan, depende na lang sa chairman kung ilan ang conferee sinundan ko lang tradition na kung vice chair automatic conferee ka (There’s really none, because when we checked with others, there’s no rule on the number — it just depends on the chairman how many conferees there will be. I just followed the tradition that if you’re a vice chair, you’re automatically a conferee)," he said.